Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Friday met the minister and deputy
ministers of the Environment, Town Planning and Public Works ministry
to discuss the top priorities in these areas in the next four years.

In statements after their meeting, Minister George Souflias stressed
that public works would figure prominently in the ministry's
activities, with a massive -- by Greek standards -- programme due to
begin in the autumn, which he said would "turn Greece into a large
construction site".

According to Souflias, works worth an estimated 17.5 billion euros had
been awarded through tenders in the past 3.5 years, more than in the
past two decades, while studies for works to be included in the 4th
Community Support Framework (CSF) had begun in 2005.

The minister also pointed out that 4.5 billion euros were available
under the 4th CSF for environmental projects, the same amount as for
infrastructure projects, and stressed that this had not been the case
in the past when the budget was biased in favour of public works.
Included in this sum was 180 million euros for protected areas.

Other priorities listed by the minister were completing the legislative
framework for spatial planning for the entire country and ensuring that
the land register covered 2/3 of the Greek population by 2010.

On environmental issues, he pointed out that the government had
increased rates of recycling to 22 percent from 6 percent when it took
over and had introduced measures to combat climate change and waste
water treatment.

Another priority was to begin the construction a metropolitan park at
the Helliniko site in coastal Athens, he added.

Souflias repeated that the ministry was determined not to allow
development that was not allowed in NATURA areas to be carried out on
burnt land at the Kaiafa site in the Peloponnese, donated to the
fire-ravaged municipality of Zaharo.

He repeated his objections to the creation of a separate environment
ministry at the present phase, noting that the environment was better
served when the ministry was combined with that for public works, while
noting that the same issue could be raised again in three years time
when the works under the 3rd CSF were finished and those under the 4th
CSF were beginning.

Caption: An external view of the Maximos Mansion, the premier's
official office, in Athens. ANA-MPA file photo

The unemployment rate in Greece fell to 8.1 percent of the workforce in
the second quarter of 2007, down from 8.8 percent in the corresponding
period last year, the lowest rate since 1998, the National Statistical
Service (NSS) announced on Friday.

Unemployment among women remained more than double (12.6 percent) the
figure for men (5.0 pct), while unemployment among young people aged
15-29 reached 17.8 percent. The statistical service said that out of a
total of 398,006 unemployed people in the country, 38.5 percent are
seeking full-time jobs and 50 percent are seeking full-time jobs but
were willing to accept part-time jobs as well.

First-time unemployed individuals accounted for 35.2 percent of total
unemployment, with long-term unemployed people (those seeking jobs for
more than 12 months) accounted for 55.2 percent of the total
unemployment figure.

Unemployment among foreign nationals was almost equal with the national
average (8.0 pct and 8.1 pct, respectively).

NSS said the Western Macedonia region (11.6 pct) and Epirus (10.1 pct)
recorded the highest unemployment rates in the second quarter of 2007,
while Crete (4.2 pct), the South Aegean and Thessaly (with 7.2 pct
each) recorded the lowest rates.

The number of employed people in Greece totalled 4,519,853 in the
second quarter of the year, with 95,624 people entering the job market
in the same period. The primary sector recorded a 2.6-percent decline
in employment compared with the second quarter last year, although the
secondary and third sectors recorded increases of 3.1 percent and 1.7
percent, respectively. The services (8.0 pct), healthcare (5.8 pct) and
hotel-hospitality (5.6 percent) sectors recorded the highest employment
growth rates.

Part-time employment accounted for only 5.8 pct of total employment in
the country, while wage earners accounted for 64.1 percent of total
employment, down from an 80 percent average in the EU.

Athens will observe the "European Car-Free" day on Saturday, which
means that people wanting to go to the city's centre will have to do so
without their vehicles.

On the other hand, all public transport will be free of charge
throughout the day as part of Greece's participation in European
Mobility Week, by order of new Transport Minister Kostis Hatzidakis.

The aim is to improve the public's attitudes and behaviour in terms of
their daily travel needs and cut down traffic congestion by promoting
the use of public transport.

The City of Athens, for the first time, and in cooperation with the
ministry of transport, the Technical Chamber of Greece, the Hellenic
Institute of Transportation Engineers, the Centre for Renewable Energy
Sources and the municipality's Road Safety Organisation, invites all
Athens residents to participate in a series of events at Kotzia Square
on Saturday to mark the culmination of European Mobility Week 2007,
which is marked by events in 1,300 European cities.